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Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 Arrives: 10 Reasons to Use It

News Analysis: Microsoft has officially launched Internet Explorer 9. Although the browser's history has been spotty, Internet Explorer 9 is the one new browser that every user should be trying.

Microsoft has officially launched Internet Explorer 9. The browser, which is being touted by many reviewers already as the best version of the software the company has ever released, follows a long line of predecessors that at times won customers over and at other times failed miserably. But it's a new day for Microsoft and Internet Explorer. The time has finally come for the company to face Google's Chrome browser head-on.But perhaps now Windows users are wondering if they should use Internet Explorer 9. Some of those folks are using previous versions of the browser and might be pleased with it. Others might be using Chrome, Firefox or Opera, and couldn't fathom the thought of moving to Microsoft's latest browser.But the clear truth is every single Web user regardless of the browser they're using now should try out Internet Explorer 9. It's speedier, more user-friendly and has enough additional improvements to coax any user to download the browser and use it.Read on to find out why consumers and enterprise customers should start browsing the Web with Internet Explorer 9.1. It's fastBy all measures, Internet Explorer 9 is the fastest browser Microsoft has ever released. The browser has an improved JavaScript engine named Chakra and uses hardware acceleration to deliver Web pages to users sooner. The idea behind Internet Explorer 9's improved speed is to rely upon today's PC components including the CPU and GPU to get users to their favorite Websites faster. So far, it seems that Microsoft has achieved that goal.2. A vastly improved interfaceOne of the biggest issues with previous versions of Internet Explorer was the browser's design. It was ugly. Rather than put the browsing experience first, Microsoft forced users to deal with too much clutter around a Web page. That's gone, finally. In Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft has created a clean, simple interface that puts browsing at the core of the experience. It's nice to see.3. It's awfully Chrome-likeIt's obvious after loading Internet Explorer 9 that Microsoft took some cues from Google. That company's Chrome browser features the simple, slimmed-down design that Internet Explorer now features. It also has the Omnibox that lets users input Web addresses and search the Web in one place. Microsoft's option, which performs the same action, is called One Box. Plus, Chrome's appeal is speed. But as noted above, it looks like speed might be a key feature for Internet Explorer 9 as well.4. The Pinned Sites feature is niceMicrosoft has the luxury of being the company that not only designs the browser, but also supports the operating system it runs on. Because of that, it was able to bring Pinned Sites to Internet Explorer 9. That feature lets users save their favorite Websites to the Windows 7 Taskbar for easy access. Pinned Sites are similar to launching applications on the desktop. It's a nice service.